Construction begins soon to improve Northland thoroughfare

The long wait is nearly over on the widening of a dangerous stretch of road in the Northland.

When it was first designed in 2007, North Woodland Avenue was supposed to have four lanes. In 2011, the project stalled due to a lack of funding. In 2015, several council members, including Heather Hall, made it their goal to get it finished.

"Councilman (Scott) Wagner, myself, (Teresa) Lohr and (Dan) Fowler all agreed to take $500,000 each year from our in-district PIAC, for each district, to add to the federal grant, so that we could build it," Hall said.

PIAC is short for Public Improvements Advisory Committee funds. Hall said that money, plus $6 million in federal dollars, are now in place.

Construction begins in the spring of 2019 to begin widening Woodland from Northeast 96th Street to Shoal Creek Parkway. Three school are situated along the narrow, rolling, two-lane road. Hall says it will be much safer.

"This road has been so dangerous," Hall said. "We've had a loss of life on that road, which is unacceptable."

The project includes sidewalks on one side of North Woodland, a multi-use path on the other, on-street bike lanes and four roundabouts to keep traffic moving.